The hearing has been held at the Attock District Jail after receiving approval from the Law Ministry, which took into consideration security concerns expressed by the Interior Ministry.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-August 30th, 2023) A special court convened under the provisions of the Official Secrets Act on Wednesday decided to extend the judicial remand of Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), until September 13 in connection to the cipher case. The hearing took place at the Attock District Jail. Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, presiding over the case, made this ruling concerning the missing cipher, a confidential state document that Khan had displayed during a political gathering prior to his removal from office last year.
The hearing was held at the Attock District Jail after receiving approval from the Law Ministry, which took into consideration security concerns expressed by the Interior Ministry.
Khan has been held in the aforementioned jail since his conviction on August 5 in the Toshakhana case. This case pertains to his failure to accurately declare gifts he received while serving in office.
Although the Islamabad High Court recently overturned a lower court's decision to sentence Khan to three years in prison along with a fine of Rs100,000, a ruling that would have barred him from participating in upcoming elections, he continues to be in custody due to his ongoing judicial remand related to the cipher case until August 30.
Sources report that Khan's legal team, consisting of five members and led by Advocate Salman Safdar, attended the court hearing at the prison. Earlier, there had been a denial of access to Khan, but eventually, his legal team was allowed entry.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi, another prominent figure, is also expected to appear before the judicial complex for the cipher case after completing his two-day remand. Qureshi's representation in court will be handled by his lawyer and fellow PTI member, Babar Awan.
Khan's legal representatives have raised concerns about the fairness of his detention, alleging a "manipulation of justice." They assert that despite being granted bail and anticipating his release from Attock Jail, Khan remains in detention due to a previous secret arrest linked to the cipher case. The lawyers assert that Khan's legal team was deliberately kept unaware of these developments, which they view as a manipulation of the justice process.
Following his removal from office, Imran Khan has faced a significant number of legal cases, totaling over 200. He has been denied bail in numerous instances, including cases in anti-terrorism courts as well as district courts in Islamabad.
